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ABBA logo, Arrival album art and single covers (1976–1982)

Contributed by Alex Bury on Apr 4th, 2017. Artwork published in .
Arrival was first released in Sweden on October 11, 1976.
License: All Rights Reserved.

Arrival was first released in Sweden on October 11, 1976.

News Gothic is the main typeface used on the artwork for the albums and singles by Swedish pop group ABBA from 1976 to 1982. It is also the typeface used for the iconic logo with the backwards B. According to Wikipedia, it was –

[…] designed by Rune Soderqvist, who had designed ABBA’s record sleeves. The logo first appeared on the French compilation album, Golden Double Album, released in May, and would henceforth be used for all official releases.

But the idea for the official logo was made by the German photographer Wolfgang Heilemann on a “Dancing Queen” shoot for the teenage magazine Bravo. On the photo, the ABBA members held a giant initial letter of his/her name. After the pictures were made, Heilemann found out that one of the men held his letter backwards as in ᗅᗺᗷᗅ. They discussed it and the members of ABBA liked it.

For the albums Ring Ring, Waterloo, and ABBA, different fonts were used.

The first appearance of the ABBA logo was on the French Golden Double Album ‎(Melba, Vogue, May 1976). The secondary typeface is  in all caps.
Source: www.discogs.com Discogs. License: All Rights Reserved.

The first appearance of the ABBA logo was on the French Golden Double Album ‎(Melba, Vogue, May 1976). The secondary typeface is Windsor Elongated in all caps.

“Knowing Me, Knowing You” / “Happy Hawaii” (1976/1977).
License: All Rights Reserved.
Live 77 was “recorded live in Australia 1977. Specially produced for Jultidningsförlaget. Not for sale.” — Discogs
License: All Rights Reserved.

Live 77 was “recorded live in Australia 1977. Specially produced for Jultidningsförlaget. Not for sale.” — Discogs

“Voulez-Vous” was first released in Sweden on April 23, 1979.
License: All Rights Reserved.

“Voulez-Vous” was first released in Sweden on April 23, 1979.

“Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” / “The King Has Lost His Crown” (1979).
License: All Rights Reserved.
“The Day Before You Came” / “Cassandra” (1982).
License: All Rights Reserved.
German version of “Money Money Money” / “Crazy World” (Polydor, 1976), featuring .
Source: www.flickr.com Affendaddy. License: All Rights Reserved.

German version of “Money Money Money” / “Crazy World” (Polydor, 1976), featuring ITC Serif Gothic.

German version of “Knowing Me Knowing You” (Polydor, 1976). The typeface used for the titles is .
Source: www.flickr.com Affendaddy. License: All Rights Reserved.

German version of “Knowing Me Knowing You” (Polydor, 1976). The typeface used for the titles is Horatio.

Typefaces

  • News Gothic
  • Windsor Elongated
  • ITC Serif Gothic
  • Horatio
  • Gill Kayo

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